PO 806 Political Cultures of the Middle East (Fall: 3)
This seminar explores the influence of cultural norms, religious traditions,
and values on political behavior and institutional patterns in the Middle
East. It focuses on several spheres of political life, including conceptions
of political leadership, legitimacy, and authority; different responses—from
embrace, to adaptation, to outright rejection—to the West; the encounter
with modernity and the problem of secularization; the uses of Islam as an
ideology of resistance and the rise of fundamentalism; prospects for democratization;
role of women in public life; and the impact of globalization and the new
media on political participation and change.
Ali Banuazizi
Last Updated: 02-FEB-13